Serving the Community
AA – Alcoholics Anonymous meets in our parish hall on Monday evenings from 8-9, and on Tuesday evenings from 7-8.
Centre Crest – Deacon Alex Dyakiw spearheads our ministry at CentreCrest, the county nursing home near the church. Volunteers serve in many ways, including spending time with hospice patients; helping with worship services; caring for the animals that live in the building; and transporting patients to and from worship services and meals.
FaithCentre – The faith-based thrift store in Bellefonte sells a variety of items, disburses donated funds to meet emergency needs, and also keeps a food bank. St. John’s maintains baskets in the church for weekly food donations. We also hold several theme-specific campaigns throughout the year for special donations to the food bank, including Peanut Butter & Jelly month (May), Cereal Sundays (August), and Thanksgiving food boxes. There are endless ways to be of service here.
Christmas for Shippensburg Home – Each year, St. John’s parishioners donate gift items for residents at The Episcopal Home of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, also known as the Shippensburg Home.
Community Lunch – Hot lunches are prepared by area church volunteers and served to anyone in the community every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Event hosted at First Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte.
Crop Walk – St. John parishioners participate in the CROP Hunger Walk , the original charitable walking event in the U.S. The CROP Walk’s parent organization – Church World Services – is passionate about ensuring sustainable access to proper, nutritious food, supporting more than 2,500 local hunger-fighting groups across the U.S. This year alone, about 1,400 hunger walks will take place across our country, and more than 160,000 people will walk.
Jared Boxes – Sunday school students create boxes filled with toys to be given to chronically ill children to provide diversion as they receive chemotherapy or other medical treatments. The filled boxes are delivered to Mt. Nittany Hospital at the end of Lent.